MIAMI — No Phillie needed a game-winning home run as much as Nick Castellanos.
Mired in a 22-game slump in which he's hit .122 with two extra-base hits, two walks and 35 strikeouts, Castellanos untied the game in the ninth inning Tuesday night with a two-run homer to left field off David Robertson.
There was no doubt about it leaving the yard. Robertson hung an 0-2 slider and Castellanos hammered it off the pitch counting board past the left-field wall.
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The Phillies, who trailed 1-0 entering the ninth, won 3-1.
"Amazing," Castellanos said. "Personal reasons and also because it was such a big spot in the game."
Big spot in the season, too. When the night began, the top five teams in the National League wild-card race were separated by 1½ games. The Phillies (58-49) will end the night in one of the top two wild-card spots. They've won two in a row in Miami to move 1½ games ahead of the Marlins.
"I think it has the potential to be huge," manager Rob Thomson said of Castellanos' swing. "Just give him some confidence. D-Rob hung it, but he got it. That was big and it was big for the club, too."
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The Phillies had been totally shut down by Sandy Alcantara, who allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings. He was lifted at 101 pitches for Robertson, the veteran closer acquired by the Marlins from the Mets over the weekend. If they don't make that move, Alcantara probably finishes the game, and who knows how it ends.
The reigning Cy Young-winner was at 101 pitches. He had gone complete in his last start, but it required only 97 pitches. He's routinely pushed beyond either number.
"I think we were all shocked that he didn't stay in there for the ninth," Castellanos said. "Obviously there's respect because (Robertson) is a great pitcher as well, but Sandy definitely was rolling."
Kyle Schwarber began the ninth with a walk off Robertson. Bryce Harper hit a one-out double off the left-field wall to tie the game. Castellanos put them ahead three pitches later.
The Phillies' right fielder got to unplug and reset Monday when Thomson gave him the day off. He didn't take BP at the ballpark, instead hitting in the batting cage in his Miami home late Sunday night. Tuesday was his son, Liam's, birthday. It was a good day all around for the Castellanos family.
"It's really nice being home, you know?" Castellanos said. "Just to be able to go back to my house and see everyone who's really familiar to me. Feeling my roots again, and just coincidentally it's Liam's 10th birthday today. Just to be able to have a nice night and day on my day off and not have to stress out about trying to fix something or find something during the game. I got to just unplug and enjoy my home, enjoy my family and then reset a little bit."
The Phillies have two chances Wednesday and Thursday to earn a series win in their four-gamer at loanDepot Park. Zack Wheeler starts Wednesday. New Phillie Michael Lorenzen is set for his debut Thursday afternoon.
"I know Mike Lorenzen just from playing with him," Castellanos said of his former Reds teammate. "Incredible guy, super freak athlete. He's made great plays in the outfield, he's hit home runs and he's struck people out. Him and I don't know who else have done that in the big leagues, maybe Shohei Ohtani?
"Any time you get a player that is coming from a team that is not in competition for the postseason, it definitely can be a lift and energy in that person just because of how much these next two months might mean to him individually. That's always good to have around."